Steadying device for ladders



April 19, 1949. l. J. BACKLIN ET AL STEADYING DEVICE FOR LADDERS Filed Feb. 26; 1945 Patented Apr. 19, 1949 STEADYING DEVICE FOR LADDERS Isabelle J. Backlin and Carl A. Backlin, Burlington, Wis.

Application February 26, 1945, Serial No. 579,786

2 Claims.

The invention relates to ladders and more particularly to an attachment for ladders.

The main object of the invention is to provide a handle readily attachable to ladders, more particularly those of the stepladder type which will help to steady a user of the ladder when going up or down and when standing on the top thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a steady handle attachment for ladders that may be folded back adjacent a ladder leg when not in use and may be locked in operative position when in use.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of a ladder equipped with the device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation View of the device in operating position on a ladder;

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1 with the handle in folded position;

Fig. 5 is a. detailed side elevation view of parts of the structure showing it in folded down condition;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation view of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a ladder, here shown as a stepladder having th usual ladder portion 8, top 9, and brace legs I pivoted at II and held in operating position by the usual foldable brace bars I2.

The steadying handle attachment embodying the invention includes an attaching plate I3, a steadying member or handle I4 pivotally mounted on a pin I carried by said plate, means for locking said handle in operative position, and a metal clip I5 for securing said handle in a folded or inoperative position.

The attaching plate I3 is preferably formed of sheet metal adapted to rest against the side of one of the legs I0 and be there secured by screws I1 and a flange I8 adapted to abut the front of said leg to aid in positioning said plate and to relieve the screws I! of shearing strains.

The handle I4 is preferably a rectangular stick of wood and in its operating position is disposed at a point above its pivot between the plate I3 and a metal clip I9 riveted to said plate, and when so positioned, is locked against movement by a latch 20 pivoted on a pin 2| carried by a flange 22 on the plate I3 and adapted to be swung down to bring its free end into a notch 28 in said clip I9 as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 or be 2 swung up to a release position as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. When the latch 20 is released, the handle I4 may be swung down to bring its free end in registry with the spring clip I6 to hold it between the free end of this clip and the side of the leg I9 of the ladder as shown in Fig. 4.

When in upright position the handle may be grasped by one hand of the person in going up or down the ladder and is of great help in steadying said person, or in some conditions of use where a person works from the top 9 of the ladder, the steadying action of the handle enables him to reach out a considerable distance from the ladder without danger of losing his balance.

We desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. An attachment for a ladder comprising a mounting plate adapted to be secured to a part of the ladder, a steadying member pivotally mounted on said plate, means mounted on said plate engaging three sides of said member for locking said member to said plate in an upwardly projecting position.

2. In a ladder attachment, the combination of a mounting plate adapted to be secured to a part of the ladder, a member pivotally mounted on said plate, a clip mounted on said plate and receiving said member between it and said plate when said member is swung to an upwardly projecting position, and a latch pivotally mounted on said plate and lockingly engageable with said clip to hold said member between it, said clip and plate in the upwardly projecting position of said member.

ISABELLE J. BACKLIN. CARL A. BACKLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,459,404 Kleffman June 19, 1923 2,167,157 Muehlberg July 25, 1939 2,208,933 Brimboeuf July 23, 1940 2,325,793 Mumbrauer Aug. 3, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 284,548 Germany Sept. 20, 1913 578,381 France Sept. 24, 1924 720,097 France Feb. 15, 1932 

